


Please Don't Stir It

by lumosflies



Series: Asanoya Week 2020 Prompts [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Asanoya Week 2020, Canon Compliant, Crushes, First Kiss, Getting Together, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Jealousy, M/M, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:02:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25948525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lumosflies/pseuds/lumosflies
Summary: Asahi understood why Nishinoya was attracted to Kiyoko, even if he didn’t view her in the same light. Kiyoko was quiet and graceful, but she was also able to hold her own against any of the rowdy members on the team, especially Tanaka and Nishinoya. That’s why Asahi couldn’t even feel sorry for himself whenever Nishinoya followed her around like a puppy. It wasn’t her fault that she was exactly Nishinoya’s type.
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu
Series: Asanoya Week 2020 Prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1881802
Comments: 25
Kudos: 241
Collections: Asanoya Week 2020





	1. i'm sure it's nothing but some heartburn

**Author's Note:**

> Asanoya Week 2020 Day 2 Prompt: Jealousy
> 
> Title inspired by ["Happy Not Knowing"](https://youtu.be/L4YbNztrCIA) by Carly Rae Jepsen"
> 
> EDIT: I changed the rating from G to T when I decided to write another chapter just to be safe.

The first time Asahi realized he had a crush on one of his best friends and teammates, he felt sick to his stomach. He felt sick not because he had feelings for another boy, but because said boy was preoccupied trying to impress their club manager.

Asahi understood why Nishinoya was attracted to Kiyoko, even if he didn’t view her in the same light. Kiyoko was quiet and graceful, but she was also able to hold her own against any of the rowdy members on the team, especially Tanaka and Nishinoya. That’s why Asahi couldn’t even feel sorry for himself whenever Nishinoya followed her around like a puppy. It wasn’t _her_ fault that she was exactly Nishinoya’s type.

“Kiyoko’s so pretty,” Tanaka sighed as he walked into the club room. “Did you see the way she brushed me off on the way here? It just makes me love her more!”

Nishinoya nodded in agreement, following Tanaka into the room. From where Asahi was standing with Suga and Daichi on the other side of the room, he could see Nishinoya stretching as he changed into his practice clothes. Asahi turned his back to them and tried to focus on the conversation he was supposed to be having. He still couldn’t help listening. It wasn’t a large room to begin with.

“I can’t believe she’s graduating this year,” Nishinoya sighed. “How are we supposed to move on without her at practice every day?”

“I don’t know, man,” Tanaka said, shaking his head. “She’s too good for us, too good for this world, too good for—“

“Hurry up and get changed, you two,” Daichi interrupted.

He was using the stern tone that was usually reserved for when their younger teammates were getting too excitable. For once, Asahi was grateful to see even the slightest hint of Scary Daichi.

Practice started normally, with Coach Ukai and Takeda explaining their upcoming strategies and practice matches. Daichi led the team in warm ups, and Ukai directed them when it was time to practice serves and receives. Kiyoko made an announcement of her own about Yachi’s plans to make more promotional flyers to raise money for their travel expenses to Tokyo. Asahi listened to her as well, but his eyes drifted over to the libero beaming up at her. He tried not to think too much about the twisted feeling in his stomach.

Throughout practice, Asahi couldn’t help watching Nishinoya dive for receive after receive, even when it seemed impossible to save the ball from slamming on the floor as the servers intended. The only one who managed to beat Nishinoya so far was Yamaguchi, who was working harder than ever to perfect his specialty jump float serve.

When it was time to clean up, Asahi took his place at one end of the net while Suga took the other. Together, they walked over to the supply closet as the first years started cleaning the floors.

“You’ve been quiet today,” Suga stated his observation once they were alone.

“Really? I guess I was too focused on trying to get my jump serve just right,” Asahi shrugged.

He knew it wasn’t a very convincing excuse, but he didn’t think he was capable of telling more than a white lie.

“If that’s what we’re calling it these days,” Suga laughed, clapping Asahi on the back. “You know you could just tell him how you feel, right?”

Asahi wished he could fall through the Earth, but the universe was not so kind. Instead, he stared back at Suga with a dumbstruck expression. He was at a loss for words. Was he really that obvious?

“Don’t worry, no one else has figured it out,” Suga continued reassuringly.

“I’m not fearless like…well, like him,” Asahi sighed.

“I’m just saying you two have a strong bond already,” Suga said. “Even if he doesn’t feel the same way, he’s not the type to just let go of your friendship again. Not after what you’ve both been through.”

Asahi sighed again as they walked back out into the gym. The first years were still cleaning the floors while most of the second years collected the remaining volleyballs that were scattered around. Tanaka and Nishinoya were talking to Kiyoko, both eagerly hanging on to her every word.

Suga offered Asahi a sympathetic smile as he led them out of the gym and up to the club room.

“It’s not even her fault,” Asahi said once they were alone again. “It’s not her fault that she’s so wonderful and Nishinoya has enough common sense to see that in her.”

“I know,” Suga replied as he started changing back into his school uniform. “But it’s gonna be okay.”

“How can you be so sure?” Asahi asked.

“I’m not,” Suga shrugged. “I just have faith that things will work out if you don’t give up so easily.”

* * *

The next day, Asahi tried his best to make up for the guilt of wishing Nishinoya didn’t like Kiyoko so much. Before morning practice, he had an intriguing conversation with her about her post-graduation plans. After classes, he offered to carry the box full of files she had compiled on the teams they might encounter at nationals. He made sure to let her know how impressed he was by her organization skills and work ethic as well.

The rest of the week passed in a similar manner. On some days, Kiyoko joined Asahi, Daichi, and Suga for lunch, and on others, the four of them made plans to study together at Daichi’s house after practice.

Kiyoko was easy to talk to, Asahi thought as he walked into practice with her and the other third years on Friday afternoon. She had just suggested ways for Asahi to analyze his own performance in past games by determining common factors in both his successful and blocked spikes against a three-man block. Daichi asked her to explain this to the rest of the team, and they moved to the side for their usual pre-practice talks.

Asahi didn’t even notice Nishinoya standing behind him until he turned around, ready to go retrieve the net.

“Oh, hi Nishinoya,” he greeted the other boy. “Wanna help me set up the net?”

Nishinoya just stared up at Asahi with slightly narrowed eyes. Asahi recognized this look as the same one Nishinoya had in his face when he was scoping out an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses on the court. He was beginning to feel uneasy under the intense scrutiny when Nishinoya finally nodded after what felt like centuries of silent judgment.

Asahi held the closet door open for Nishinoya and followed him inside. He was nervous about Nishinoya’s silence, which was unusual for him, but the younger boy finally spoke up after the door closed behind them.

“You’re getting pretty friendly with Kiyoko,” he said simply.

Asahi could have sworn there was a hint of bitterness in his tone, but he tried to ignore it. He didn’t want to give Nishinoya any more of a reason to ignore him than he already was.

“All of us are. I mean, all the third years,” Asahi shrugged. “We’re getting kind of sentimental about going to nationals and graduation.”

“Daichi and Suga weren’t carrying heavy boxes for her,” Nishinoya countered.

Asahi raised an eyebrow at his friend. He briefly wondered when Nishinoya even bothered to pay attention to such a small detail of their casual interactions.

“It looked heavy,” Asahi said. “I’m sure she would have let you or Tanaka carry it too if you offered.”

He didn’t receive a response from Nishinoya as they carried the net out to the middle of the court, but he could have sworn that Nishinoya mumbled something under his breath as they walked apart from each other.

From his spot near the gym entrance, Suga shook his head and clicked his tongue. He watched Asahi approach Nishinoya again, only to be brushed off with the weak excuse of needing to talk to Tanaka about studying together later. They never studied together without Ennoshita to hold them accountable.

Nishinoya kept his head down, but Suga saw Tanaka look over at Kiyoko, who was talking with Asahi again. He knew that this wouldn’t end well for any of them without communication. 

“What’s up with you, Suga?” Hinata asked as he followed Suga’s line of sight to Tanaka and Nishinoya. “Are they in trouble? What did they do?”

“No, they’re not,” Suga shook his head. “They’re just misguided by their own tunnel vision.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kageyama asked from Hinata’s other side.

“It means you’ll end up the same way if you don’t stop to think about something other than volleyball for more than a minute,” Tsukishima said coolly.

“Tsukki, don’t,” Yamaguchi laughed behind his hand.

Suga turned back to the first years surrounding him and immediately felt guilty for not even noticing when they had entered the gym in the first place. 

“It’s nothing you guys need to worry about,” Suga grinned back at them. “Let’s refocus on becoming the best we can for nationals.”

The first years continued their bickering until Daichi called the team over to Coach Ukai. When Suga sat down next to Daichi, he was greeted with a questioning look from the captain.

“I’ll explain later,” Suga reassured him. “If we want to stop a train wreck, you’re just gonna have to trust me.”

Daichi didn’t look any less confused, but he had known Suga long enough to trust him and redirect his attention to Coach Ukai. Suga never steered him wrong before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! I'm looking forward to posting more for the rest of Asanoya Week!


	2. somebody else would suit you better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nishinoya tries to figure out what's happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a oneshot for Asanoya Week, but now I have about one more chapter planned.

Nishinoya didn’t know why he felt so off that week. His routines were still the same. He still went to morning and afternoon practices. He still had lunch with the other second years and walked home with them at the end of the day. Somehow, he still felt like something was wrong.

The only thing that changed was how much he noticed Asahi was spending time with Kiyoko. Sweet, shy Asahi, who usually had trouble talking to girls, was talking with Kiyoko and smiling fondly at her as they walked into practice together.

Nishinoya knew how much Kiyoko deserved the attention, especially from someone as nice as Asahi. He didn’t have to like the fact that they were getting closer, though. In his opinion, Kiyoko was too good for most people. He and Tanaka were protective of her and made their feelings for her very clear, but they never expected her to reciprocate. At least, Nishinoya didn’t expect it.

Throughout most of afternoon practice on Friday, Nishinoya was able to keep his mindset on volleyball alone. He stayed by Tanaka’s side during water breaks, the only times he let himself get distracted by Asahi and Kiyoko.

“There’s no way they’re going out,” Tanaka shook his head. “No way Asahi would have randomly had enough confidence to ask her out.”

For some reason, that struck Nishinoya the wrong way. Asahi may have had his issues with self-esteem in the past and he may still struggle with them occasionally, but that didn’t mean he was incapable of asking someone out.

“I don’t know. He’s been pretty good with his self-confidence lately,” Nishinoya replied.

When he looked up, Tanaka had turned his attention away from Kiyoko to look at him with a confused expression.

“Are we talking about the same Asahi?” Tanaka asked.

Nishinoya shrugged. 

“Look, I’m just saying it’s possible that he finally realized he’s cool and he might actually have a chance with girls if he just puts himself out there. If anyone on the team could ask out Kiyoko without getting slapped, it’s probably him”

Tanaka didn’t look any less confused than before. He looked back at Kiyoko and Asahi.

“No offense to Asahi or anything, but he probably didn’t have an overnight revelation or gain all that confidence on his own,” he said.

“So what’s going on with them?”

Tanaka crossed his arms.

“I don’t know, but we’re gonna find out.”

* * *

Over the weekend, Nishinoya tried to keep his mind off of the possibility that Kiyoko and Asahi were dating. It didn’t make much sense to him, so he couldn’t focus on much else until he figured it out.

As he left his house to take a walk around the neighborhood on Sunday morning, he thought about Asahi’s words when he had asked about it.

_ We’re getting kind of sentimental about going to nationals and graduation. _

That much was probably true, Nishinoya figured. Asahi didn’t seem like the type of guy who felt the need to lie to his friends. Then again, he also thought that Asahi wasn’t the type of guy who would ask out his friend’s crushes either. Something didn’t add up.

He turned the corner when he reached the end of his street. Although he couldn’t find his peace of mind, he was grateful that the rest of the neighborhood was quiet enough at 7:00 in the morning to let him think.

Nishinoya took out his phone to scroll through his most recent texts with Asahi. He thought that there might have been some hints of Asahi’s feelings toward Nishinoya that he missed.

The last time they texted each other was last Thursday. That was  before Asahi had started talking to Kiyoko every day.

**From Asahi:** You left your sweatshirt in the gym so I just put it in the club room

**To Asahi:** thanks!

**From Asahi:** You might need to ask Daichi or Suga to let you in if you need it before practice tomorrow

Nishinoya appreciated that Asahi was considerate enough to save his sweatshirt from the lost and found, but there wasn’t much else to conclude from that conversation.

As much as he wanted to call Tanaka to ask for a second opinion on this unfamiliar confusion, he didn’t think Tanaka would fully understand. Plus, Tanaka was definitely not even awake yet.

They usually agreed on most matters, like their self-determined responsibility to “protect” Kiyoko from unworthy boys, but Tanaka has already said he didn’t think Asahi was confident enough to ask her out.

Nishinoya still thought that Asahi could have worked his way up to asking Kiyoko out. Asahi wasn’t as afraid of failure as he was after their devastating match against Date Tech last year. If Asahi could bounce back from their infamous Iron Wall, Nishinoya was sure that he could have risked rejection from Kiyoko, too. Still, Asahi didn’t look like someone whose feelings had been rejected. In fact, he looked happier than Nishinoya had seen him since they won their last match against Shiratorizawa. Kiyoko also looked more happy and talkative lately.

There could only be one logical explanation: Asahi was secretly dating Kiyoko, and he was just bad at keeping secrets.

* * *

Out of all the possible outcomes from morning practice on Monday, Asahi could not have predicted Nishinoya and Tanaka cornering him in the club room while he was in the middle of changing into his school uniform. Although they were both shorter than him, Asahi felt like the smallest person in the room as they crowded around him.

“Asahi, you know you can tell us anything,” Tanaka said.

“Um, sure,” Asahi answered. “I appreciate that.”

“So, let’s say you were...I don’t know,” Nishinoya chimed in. “Going out with a girl? You’d tell the rest of us, right?”

Asahi blinked at the pair. Last week, he had somehow managed to annoy Nishinoya by befriending Kiyoko. He thought they cleared that up, but Tanaka’s added involvement suggested otherwise.

“I don’t see how that relates to volleyball,” Asahi shrugged as he finished getting dressed. 

“It doesn’t, but we’d still like to know,” Nishinoya said. “As friends, of course.”

Tanaka nodded in agreement. “Yeah, if one of us had a girlfriend, we would tell you and the rest of the team—”

“Are you secretly dating Kiyoko?” Nishinoya blurted out.

Asahi stared back at him for a moment. He didn’t realize that in all that time he spent trying to be more friendly toward Kiyoko, he was also giving her two biggest admirers the wrong idea.

“No, I’m not,” he answered after he recovered from the initial shock. “I don’t have the same feelings for her that you two do.”

Asahi picked up his bag and started walking to the door. He was a little offended that they thought he was capable of hiding a relationship with their mutual crush. This conversation was getting out of hand, and he just wanted to get through the day without causing any more issues for the team.

“Please forgive me if this sounds rude, but I think you could both have a chance Kiyoko if you were honest with her instead of chasing her.”

* * *

“They thought you were  _ what _ ?!”

Asahi groaned as he buried his face in his hands. A few people at the surrounding tables looked over at Suga’s outburst.

Daichi, who was sitting across the table from Asahi, seemed to notice his discomfort and nudged Suga’s side with his elbow.

“You can’t just drop that story on me and expect me to be quiet about it!” Suga hissed. “Did you at least tell them you’re not dating Kiyoko?”

Asahi nodded. “Of course I did. I wouldn’t want to give them the wrong idea.”

“Then what happened?” Suga pressed.

“Nothing major,” Asahi shrugged. “I just told them that they should try being honest about their feelings with Kiyoko instead of chasing her.”

“That’s not so bad,” Daichi commented.

“Yeah, but it kind of hurt. They thought that I’d go behind their backs to date Kiyoko when I know they both have a crush on her.”

Suga opened his mouth to counter that point, but Daichi nudged him again. Asahi was already rising from his seat.

“I’m going to get another apple. Does anyone want anything?” he offered as he collected the trash from their table

Both Daichi and Suga shook their heads. They waited until he was out of earshot to start talking again.

“We have to tell him,” Suga insisted. “Daichi, when I said it would be a train wreck, I really meant it.”

“Asahi should be able to talk to Nishinoya himself. We shouldn’t meddle in their relationship,” Daichi said.

Suga frowned and crossed his arms on top of the table.

“I thought we were in this together! Don’t you want them to be happy?”

Daichi nodded. “I do, but they won’t be happy if we force them to acknowledge their feelings for each other.”

“Are you talking about Asahi and Nishinoya or us now?” Suga asked seriously. “I’m willing to wait for you to figure out what you want, but I do want an answer at some point. Preferably this century.”

Daichi sighed. He had walked himself right into this recurring conversation with Suga. It was true that Suga had been patient with him, but neither of them knew how long that patience would last.

“Can we just get through nationals first?” he asked. “I don’t want to cause any more friction between the team right before we go to Tokyo.”

Asahi returned before Suga could reply. Suga shared a look with Daichi that they both understood to mean they would continue this conversation later in private.

“Do you guys think I’m being paranoid about this whole situation?” Asahi asked as he sat down. “Am I being too obvious around Nishinoya? What if he knows and he’s just messing with me because he thinks that it’s some kind of joke—”

“I think you should just talk to him,” Daichi interrupted.

“A good friend of mine once told his other friend to be honest with his feelings,” Suga added. “He was selfless for doing that, considering he’s fallen hard for that one friend.”

Asahi sighed and bit into his apple. He appreciated their support, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to confess to Nishinoya as long as Nishinoya still had obvious feelings for someone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! Next update should be the last chapter!


	3. to risk a broken heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second years help Nishinoya sort out his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Manga spoilers ahead for the nationals arc!

The night before they left for Tokyo, Nishinoya and the other second years slept over at Ennoshita’s house. Likewise, the third years and first years had made similar arrangements to ensure that everyone would be ready to leave from Karasuno on time.

Now that he knew Asahi and Kiyoko weren’t dating, Nishinoya expected to feel relieved that he still had a shot with her. Tanaka seemed relieved enough for both of them as the five of them laid side by side on Ennoshita’s living room floor. When the others asked what they were talking about, Tanaka was also more than willing to explain the whole misunderstanding.

“The only thing we have to worry about now is kicking ass at nationals,” he concluded.

“What about you, Nishinoya?” Narita asked from Tanaka’s other side. “You’ve been kinda quiet this whole time.”

Nishinoya shrugged, then remembered that no one besides Tanaka could have noticed the gesture.

“Yeah, Ryū’s right. All we have to worry about is nationals,” he repeated.

“No offense, but that’s a load of crap,” Ennoshita said bluntly.

“What the hell, Chikara?” Tanaka retorted before Nishinoya could reply.

Ennoshita sat up. Even though he was on the other end of their arrangement, Nishinoya’s muscles stiffened under the other boy’s stare.

“What’s really going on?” Ennoshita continued, ignoring Tanaka.

Nishinoya sat up as well, drawing his knees closer to his chest.

“I don’t know. It’s weird,” he admitted. “I haven’t been able to focus much lately, but that should’ve been solved when we found out they aren’t dating, right?”

In the dim lighting provided only by the streetlight across the street, Nishinoya could make out the shapes of Narita and Kinoshita rising as well, followed shortly by Tanaka. So much for going to bed early. Nishinoya flashed a grin at the other boys to put them at ease.

“Don’t worry, guys. I just need a good night’s sleep and I’ll be ready to give it my all tomorrow,” he said.

He thought that would be enough to get everyone laying down again and ready to sleep for good. Then, Kinoshita asked the question that Nishinoya had yet to ask himself since the first day he saw Asahi and Kiyoko together.

“What if Asahi’s not the one you were jealous of?”

With his back still turned to the rest of the group, Tanaka shared a look with Nishinoya. They couldn’t communicate nonverbally as well as usual in the dark, but they were still close enough for Tanaka to notice the way his friend’s smile faltered for just a second. He shifted his weight until he was sitting directly across from Nishinoya. Nishinoya’s view of the others was mostly blocked by Tanaka. Nishinoya let his arms drop to his sides. In a way, he had protected Nishinoya when he was most vulnerable, and Nishinoya was grateful that he could rely on his friend for that.

The silence in the room was too much. Everyone else was staring at him, but for once, Nishinoya didn’t want the attention. He was too busy trying to figure out how to answer the question. Ennoshita was the first to come to his senses and break the tension.

“You don’t have to answer that,” he said in a voice that was way too calm for Nishinoya’s liking. “Let’s just go to bed.”

“It’s fine,” Nishinoya waved him off. “I don’t actually know the answer to that, but it can’t hurt to figure it out with you guys.”

Tanaka hesitated for a moment, then moved again to sit by Nishinoya’s side. Now he was in plain view of the others, but at least he had someone to lean on if this conversation got too real.

“How long have you been feeling off?” Kinoshita asked.

“Since last week, I guess,” Nishinoya shrugged again. “It started when we saw Kiyoko talking to Asahi more than usual.”

“She was talking with the other third years too,” Narita observed. “You said they were getting sentimental about graduation.”

“But now we know that they were just being friendly,” Tanaka added. “Kiyoko’s still single and we can still admire her from afar.”

“ _ Afar _ ?!” Ennoshita scoffed.

There was no malice in Ennoshita’s voice as he broke into a chuckle. “You guys are always trailing after her. There’s nothing ‘afar’ about that.”

“That’s true. Subtlety isn’t exactly your style,” Narita said with an amused grin.

Ennoshita’s laughter was contagious. It wasn’t often that he let himself loosen up at Tanaka and Nishinoya’s antics. It was a good way to ease the tension, Nishinoya thought as he grinned back at his friends.

“Don’t you guys see what’s happening, though?” Kinoshita pressed on.

When no one answered, he let out a frustrated sigh.

“Nishinoya, you probably like both Kiyoko  _ and _ Asahi.”

“Now hold on—” Tanaka’s smile fell as he turned to face Kinoshita.

“Holy shit,” Nishinoya interrupted him. “I can do that? That’s a thing?”

Kinoshita nodded. “Yeah, my cousin is bisexual, and she kind of went through the same thing when she figured it out.”

“There’s a  _ word _ for it?!” Nishinoya asked excitedly.

“I mean, you don’t have to label yourself right away. That’s just the one my cousin feels comfortable using to say she likes men and women,” Kinoshita said.

Although it was well past an appropriate time to go to bed the night before the long day ahead of them, Nishinoya couldn’t feel more awake now. He finally had an explanation to explain why he felt so weird all week  _ and _ a word to describe his attraction to both Asahi and Kiyoko.

“This is a lot to take in, Nishinoya. You don’t have to have this all figured out overnight,” Ennoshita assured him. “But you’re still our friend and we won’t think of you any differently.”

The other boys nodded in agreement. Tanaka wrapped an arm around Nishinoya’s shoulders and gave him a firm squeeze.

“That’s right,” he added. “So if you like Asahi more than Kiyoko, you can count on me to be your number one wingman. If it turns out you like Kiyoko more, then we’ll just have to go back to admiring her together and playing the long game.”

Nishinoya laughed, momentarily forgetting that Ennoshita’s parents were asleep in the first room down the hall.

“Thanks for the support, guys,” he grinned at them.

“Now we’re all going to sleep for real this time because I can’t have Daichi asking why all of us are exhausted before we even get on the bus,” Ennoshita said as he lay down again. “We can talk more in the morning if you want.”

* * *

Even if Asahi wanted to tell Nishinoya how he felt in Tokyo, there simply wasn’t enough time to be alone with Nishinoya long enough to stumble through the confession he had rehearsed with Daichi and Suga the night before they left Karasuno.

By the time they entered the stadium for their first match, his focus had already shifted to doing his best to help his team win as much as possible. Although he had been playing volleyball for years, he had never felt happier to play than he did in Tokyo. They still lost in the end, but Asahi was okay with that. They worked hard to get to this point, and he was satisfied that he had done his best. Talking with Nishinoya after their defeat also made him feel like they were back to normal. Still, Asahi decided that it wasn’t quite the right time to confess yet.

On the first day back at school, Asahi knew he was no longer the ace of the Karasuno volleyball club. He was just a regular third year now, and he couldn’t be more pleased. He was getting ready to leave at the end of the day when his classroom door was opened by Nishinoya. The younger boy announced his presence in the only way Asahi’s classmates had seen him so far.

“Asahi!” he called out from the doorway. “Let’s walk home together today.”

A few of Asahi’s classmates had paused their respective conversations to look over at the second year blocking the entrance before turning away from him to continue talking. Asahi finished putting on his coat and picked up his bag before joining Nishinoya in the hallway.

Just outside the windows, he could see that it was just beginning to snow, so he took his scarf out of his bag and offered it to Nishinoya, who was wearing only a jacket for protection from the weather. Nishinoya tried to protest, insisting that Asahi would need it more, but Asahi just stepped out of reach when Nishinoya tried to wrap it around his neck.

As they walked, Nishinoya started telling Asahi about all the ways he was going to improve his performance for spring and how he was going to recruit new first years to find their next libero. Asahi listened attentively as he observed the snowflakes falling slowly to the ground.

“You know, you don’t have to have to scout the new libero alone,” Asahi said when they reached the bottom of the hill.

“What do you mean? I’m the only libero we have right now,” Nishinoya replied, tilting his head in confusion.

Asahi couldn’t see inside Ukai’s store, but he was sure their coach was sitting behind the counter with a cigarette in his hand as he analyzed the team’s recent performance. Even on their days off, Ukai had gradually become more motivated to push the team toward greater improvements since their first practice with him.

“You are, but that doesn’t mean you have to do everything alone,” Asahi said. “You have a whole team full of people who will help find someone to…”

He hesitated. The words “replace you” didn’t sound right to Asahi. To him, Nishinoya was irreplaceable. He was sure the rest of the team felt the same way toward their libero.

“They’ll help you find someone you can count on,” he settled on saying.

Nishinoya seemed pleased with that answer. At least, Asahi thought that was the case. They continued walking in comfortable silence. Unlike the previous weeks, Asahi wasn’t afraid of how quiet Nishinoya was around him anymore. They arrived at Nishinoya’s house first, where they both stopped to stand just outside the front yard gate. It wasn’t until they had stopped that Asahi realized Nishinoya wasn’t clear about whether he wanted to invite Asahi over or just walk home together.

“Hey, Asahi?”

They were facing each other for the first time since they left the school grounds. Nishinoya had that determined glint in his eyes again, but as far as Asahi knew, there weren’t any pressing matters at the moment. He wondered if he had gotten himself in trouble with his words again.

“Yeah?”

Nishinoya exhaled slowly, demonstrating more restraint and stability than Asahi had ever seen from him. The scarf around his neck had loosened since they left school, one side hanging lower than the other.

“I need to say something, and you don’t have to do anything but listen for now,” Nishinoya declared. “Just let me say this before it’s too late.”

The last part was concerning, but Asahi just nodded, gesturing for Nishinoya to continue. The snowfall had picked up around them, Asahi noticed, and he was worried that Nishinoya might catch a cold from staying outside too long.

“I’ve kind of been a dick to you lately, and I’m sorry,” Nishinoya said. “And I thought I was being a dick because I was jealous of how much attention you got from Kiyoko, but that wasn’t it.”

Asahi blinked back at him in confusion but stayed silent. He had a feeling Nishinoya wasn’t done.

“Honestly, I guess I  _ was _ a little jealous that week, but it turns out I was jealous of Kiyoko. Because I like you, Asahi,” Nishinoya continued. “I really, really like you and the way you make me want to be a better person. And I’m not going to hold back now that I know how I feel.”

By now, Asahi was watching Nishinoya with wide eyes, mouth agape. He expected to build up to confessing his feelings to Nishinoya himself at least before graduation. Asahi thought he would have been more panicked at being put on the spot like this, but the racing thoughts in his mind ceased when he looked into Nishinoya’s eyes. He could do this, Asahi reminded himself. It was different from how he practiced with Daichi and Suga, but he could still do this.

“Nishinoya, I feel the same way,” Asahi replied with a soft smile. “I’ve felt this way about you for a while now, but I thought you only had eyes for Kiyoko.”

Asahi watched Nishinoya’s expression change to a wide grin as the shorter boy crowded in on him. They stood toe to toe now, and Asahi had to wrap his arm around Nishinoya’s waist to hold him steady.

“You’re serious, Asahi?”

Asahi nodded. “I should have told you sooner to avoid all the confusion, but I was scared of things changing between us.”

Nishinoya only leaned in closer until he had to crane his tilt his head back to keep his eyes on Asahi. He reached up to place his hands on either side of Asahi’s face. Asahi flinched momentarily how cold they felt against his skin, but he didn’t move otherwise.

At this distance, he could see the snowflakes landing in Nishinoya’s hair and dissolving on the surface of his face. Asahi wondered if he could convince Nishinoya to stay inside for the rest of the day as he prepared tea for them and wrapped the smaller boy in blankets.

“Were you going to tell me at any point?” Nishinoya asked with genuine curiosity in his tone.

“I wanted to tell you how I felt before I graduated, but you beat me to it.”

Nishinoya’s laughter filled the air, causing Asahi to chuckle in return. Asahi reached up with his free hand to adjust the scarf around Nishinoya’s neck and began to re-wrap it, but Nishinoya stopped him. 

Nishinoya placed his hands over Asahi’s to first free the scarf from his grasp, then he wrapped it loosely over the back of Asahi’s neck and tugged lightly. Asahi took the hint and lowered his head as Nishinoya raised himself on the balls of his feet.

“Can I kiss you now?” Nishinoya mumbled.

As he spoke, his lips just barely brushed over Asahi’s. The minimal contact already had Asahi’s cheeks burning red. He just nodded in response, not trusting his voice not to crack.

Like his hands, Nishinoya’s lips were cold at first, but Asahi couldn’t care less as he pressed back against Nishinoya. It was short and clumsy, lasting just a few seconds before Nishinoya pulled away to laugh at the feeling of Asahi’s scruff rubbing against his chin.

Asahi groaned and buried his face in his hands. He had forgotten how that would feel for Nishinoya, and he was too caught up in the moment to warn him. Nishinoya reached up to pull Asahi’s hands away. He slid his hands into Asahi’s easily, holding him firmly in place. The wind around them grew stronger, causing the snow to hit them with more ferocity.

“You should go inside so you don’t catch a cold,” Asahi suggested.

“Do you want to come in and warm up, then?” Nishinoya asked.

Asahi smiled, letting Nishinoya open the gate and pull him toward the house.

“I can’t believe you were going to make me wait even longer for that,” Nishinoya chuckled as he dug his keys out of his pocket.

“Will you give me some credit for trying to be respectful?” Asahi groaned again.

Nishinoya looked over at Asahi as he unlocked the door, his shoulders shaking from laughter.

“Nope! I’ll give you points for not fainting, though!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!!
> 
> Twitter: [@jijisdeliveries](https://twitter.com/jijisdeliveries)
> 
> Tumblr: [@lumosflies](https://lumosflies.tumblr.com/)


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